Fifty Shades of Rose
by teruyo1
Summary: Irisu seduces Oreki.
1. Chapter 1

Irisu pressed her groin against the corner of the desk. She sighed. She wasn't a child. She knew how to masturbate. But the crassness of touching her clitoris or - even worse - inserting some phallic object did not appeal to her sensibilities. Not to say that rubbing one's self against a desk was any better, but the plausible deniability of it made it more palatable to her.

But the desk was an inadequate partner. Two layers of cloth blunted any minimal amount of pleasure she derived from the act. It was not for lack of effort. She rubbed and rubbed and could feel a dampness just starting to spread when she heard Oreki's voice from behind her.

"What are you doing?"

Any other girl would have screamed and run out of the room, but such hysterics did not suit Irisu. She stepped away from her desk, letting the hemline of her skirt fall back in place and restore her modesty. She faced Oreki. He did not look especially lecherous, and knowing his penchant for lethargy Irisu was confident he would not attack her, or even touch her without permission. He was not that kind of man.

She knew something like this might happen one day. She was not a fool. She knew the classroom doors could not be locked, and she had a perfectly suitable desk in her own bedroom. But the risk of getting caught was part of the thrill. And now Oreki had caught her.

"I had left my textbook here," Irisu explained.

Oreki did not look convinced.

"Where is it?"

She reached into the desk. It was empty.

"In my bag," Irisu said.

They both looked at her bag. It was on another desk, far away.

"I need to thank you," Irisu said. "The movie was a bigger success than any of us could have imagined."

Oreki's mood soured. He didn't want to remember the movie.

"It's still unquestionably the work of amateurs, but given our constraints I thought it turned out rather well."

"I'm glad I could be of use," Oreki said.

Irisu reached forward. Her fingers were long and slender and they grasped the first button of Oreki's jacket and fastened it. Her skin brushed against Oreki's chin.

"I'm throwing a party to celebrate," she said. "The cast will be there. I've invited Chitanda as well. I want you to come."

"I'm not really-"

"It will be at my house. I will text you the address and directions. Keep your schedule open this Sunday."

She left before Oreki could get another word in.

* * *

He knew she was masturbating, and she knew he knew she was masturbating, and on paper he had all the advantages. And yet here he was now, standing in front of Irisu's house to attend the celebration party for the movie he despised.

Irisu's house was not on the same scale as Chitanda's, but it was still easily twice the size of Oreki's own home. He could see expensive imported cars parked in the driveway. The lawn was immaculately manicured. Everything was in its right place.

Oreki ringed the doorbell and moments later the door swung open. Irisu was standing there wearing a white sweater and a dark tartan skirt.

"You're early," she said. "Come in."

It was two o'clock, which was the time Irisu had given him.

Oreki sat down in the couch. Irisu brought out a tray of tea and cookies and sat down opposite Oreki.

"Where is everyone?" Oreki asked.

"Who?"

"Chitanda."

"She was unavailable."

Oreki frowned. He should have called Chitanda to confirm if Irisu had actually invited her. He didn't bother asking about the cast.

Oreki sipped his tea and snacked on a cookie.

"Why am I here," he asked.

Irisu seemed to ponder the question, as if it required an answer with gravitas.

"I invited you here so we could talk."

"You lied to me."

"I did what was necessary."

Oreki shook his head and stood up to leave. But Irisu stared him down and her gaze was like a shackle. He couldn't move.

"It's true I lied to you. I was acting irrationally. You caught me-"

Irisu paused.

"What were you doing in that room?" Oreki asked.

"Why don't you try to deduce it."

Oreki sat down again.

"The students call you the Empress. But a true empress has no peers. When you're not leading a group, you're seldom seen with friends. Who is your equal? People like Kugayama and Tanabe have their own circles and they rarely interact with you. It stands to reason that you don't have much of a love life."

Irisu drank her tea.

"And how do you know these things? We aren't even in the same class."

"Fukube told me when I asked him about you."

"Go on."

"Even so, you are a model student. You maintain top grades and you contribute heavily to clubs and organizations you're not even a member of. The teachers, your parents, and your classmates have high expectations of you. There's an incredible amount of stress from such obligations."

"A young girl, with no close friends, who must maintain the image of a perfect student and a perfect daughter. You have a desire to rebel. To subvert that image. Of course you aren't reckless. You're not going to smoke, or run away, or sleep with older men for money. Instead you come to school after everyone is gone, and when you think no one is looking you rub yourself against the corner of a desk."

Irisu smiled.

"I am impressed. Once again you have presented a theory that matches all the facts. It is not necessarily true, but there is no contrary evidence to disbelieve it."

"You never change," Oreki said, shaking his head.

"Now let me ask you this, Oreki. If you knew all this already, why did you still come here?"

Oreki opened his mouth to utter the first thoughts that appeared in his mind. But he knew better than that. He had to be careful.

Irisu stood up and approached Oreki. She extended her arm and let her fingers run through his hair.

"Despite how much you despise me, still you willingly came to my house. The place where I have absolute control. Why is that?"

"I..."

She grabbed the back of Oreki's head and lightly tugged it back so that he was looking up, into her face.

"Could it be that you enjoy being humiliated?"

Oreki pushed Irisu's hand away.

"I'm not going to let you insult me like this. I'm leaving."

"Sit down."

Oreki stood still. He wanted to leave. There was no reason to stay. And yet...

He sat down. Irisu crossed her arms across her chest. The fabric of the sweater stretched across her breasts which suddenly looked large and full.

Irisu sat down again and crossed her legs. Her legs were bare and unblemished. Her skirt was short enough that Oreki could see most of her thigh.

"Are you interested in me?" she asked.

"A little."

"Good. I'm interested in you as well. I see no reason for us to be enemies. I'm certain we can be good friends."

She raised her leg and she pressed her foot against his groin.

Oreki gave up. Whatever small shred of pride he had struggled to maintain was subsumed into his libido. His erection pushed against the heel of her foot. He wanted more. Irisu could tell by the pained look on his face.

She lowered her foot and said: "Take it out."

Oreki obeyed. Irisu remained motionless as he unzipped his pants and pulled out his cock. It was the first time he had exposed himself in front of a girl and his face felt hot with shame.

Irisu smirked. Oreki winced. Her face said it all. "Is that it?" There was no fear, no curiosity. Only amusement.

The head of his cock was smeared with precum. Masturbating took no effort at all. He lasted a minute and then he was bent over, head between his knees ejaculating semen over the hardwood floor. He stared at the white puddle between his feet. He was still hard.

Irisu stood up, left, and returned carrying a wash cloth. She kneeled down in front of Oreki, letting her skirt ride up and revealing her panties. They were white and trimmed with lace. The sight of her inner thigh, pale as milk, made his cock twitch. She wiped the semen away with the cloth, folded it once, and held it underneath the tip of Oreki's penis.

His mouth drifted open. Irisu's eyes were fixed on his. She showed no emotion. He stroked his wet cock until he came again. Irisu regarded the soiled cloth with distaste and discarded it in a wastebasket before returning to her seat.

****"I apologize for not doing more. But it seemed silly to expend more than the minimum amount of effort necessary. I'm sure you understand."


	2. Chapter 2

They did not see each other again for a week.

Regardless of his body's reaction to Irisu, he knew intellectually the Empress was poison and he did what he could to avoid her. He stayed away from her classroom and deliberately took circuitous routes to minimize the chance of bumping into her.

He used up what little energy he had conserved by solving mundane mysteries for the Classics Club. It was a welcome relief from dealing with Irisu. Otherwise his thoughts would drift to her, and his cock would get hard, and he would feel ashamed of falling for someone so heartless.

But contact was inevitable. He was eating ramen by himself in the cafeteria one day when Irisu walked up behind him.

"Do you have club activities this afternoon?"

He didn't want to answer. He wanted to tell her to go away, as rudely as possible.

"Yes," he said meekly.

"I need your help with something. I want you to wait outside room 2-F after class ends. It won't take long."

"Why?" he asked.

"You're the only one I can ask."

"Is this about-"

"I'll see you then."

She stood up and left.

* * *

The afternoon bell rang and Oreki walked the short trip to classroom 2-F. The students were emptying out of the room but he didn't recognize Irisu among them. The two girls who had been stuck with cleaning duty told him that she had left moments before the bell rang. Her bag was still on her desk.

Oreki waited.

And waited.

And waited.

At seven o'clock Oreki checked his watch for the hundredth time. The Classics Club would have retired by now. He could have spent his afternoon reading a novel, trading barbs with Satoshi and avoiding Chitanda. Instead he had wasted his time waiting for Irisu. Every time he thought of walking away he said to himself, "I waited this long already. Another minute is not much more." He kept saying it until the sun was setting.

"I'm surprised you're still here."

He stood up straight at the sound of Irisu's voice.

"What took you so long?"

"I had to run an errand for my teacher."

"Why didn't you call me, or leave a note?"

"I didn't think it was necessary."

Oreki's head reeled. He could have forgiven her if she was apologetic. But her unrepentant attitude infuriated him.

"You waited this long. You may as well help me now."

Oreki sighed.

"What do you want?"

"Follow me."

* * *

"This shed has become a topic of great interest in my classroom. Have you heard of it?"

Oreki peered into the gym equipment shed. The interior was cluttered and filled with bric-a-brac: balls, bats, clubs, bags, nets, mats and piles of jerseys. He saw nothing extraordinary.

"No," he said.

"This week I was tasked with bringing out the equipment. However, every time I've come to unlock the shed, I find it's already been unlocked. Of course I make sure to lock it after class ends, but the next day I'll find it unlocked again. Besides the teacher, I'm the only one who ever has access to the key. Don't you find that strange?"

"Well...I suppose."

"I've asked the teacher if he ever comes back to unlock the shed but he denies it."

Oreki stepped inside. There was barely enough room to move around.

"Some students believe the shed is haunted. A member of the swim team claimed to have walked by here after practice one evening and she said she heard a girl's scream coming from inside the shed. Maybe it was the site of a murder and her ghost terrorizes anyone who comes near."

"Do you honestly believe that?"

"No."

There was no blood, no sign of violence. The shed smelled overwhelming of rubber and dried sweat and plastic.

"Have you always been responsible for locking the shed?" Oreki asked.

"No. The duty rotates from student to student. It was my turn this week."

A bright blue mat sat in the corner. Despite how cluttered the shed was there was nothing sitting on top of the mat. Oreki started fiddling with his hair.

"Have you figured it out?" Irisu asked.

"More or less."

Oreki studied the entrance. There was nothing unusual about it. There were no out-of-place flower pots, no welcome mats. But he saw that the shed was not that tall, and when he ran his hand along the roof he found a key. Irisu looked genuinely impressed.

"At some point a student had possession of the key," Oreki explained. "Since he was responsible for the entire week the teacher didn't notice when it wasn't returned one day. He had the key copied and handed back the original the next day, claiming he forgot to return it."

"But why?"

Oreki entered the shed and Irisu followed. A black plastic bag lay discarded in one corner. Without any context it looked inconspicuous. But as soon as Oreki opened it he was overpowered by the smell of stale semen and latex. It was filled with used condoms and wads of tissue paper.

"Couples would come here after school to have sex," Oreki said. "They could lock the door to make sure no one walked in on them. It's safer than a classroom, and cheaper than a hotel."

Oreki handed Irisu the spare key. She closed the door behind her and use the key to lock it.

"Tell me," she said, turning back to face Oreki. "Have you ever had sex?"

Blood rushed to Oreki's head.

"Wh-what are you-"

"Not even with Chitanda? And haven't you known Ibara since middle school?"

"We don't have that sort of relationship."

Irisu stepped forward. Oreki stepped back.

"Girls are as curious about sex as boys are. All it takes is one small push..."

Irisu pressed her hand flat against Oreki's chest and pushed him. He fell backwards onto the mat.

"...and they become yours."

She pulled her black nylon tights and her panties down to her knees and hiked up her skirt. Amber colored sunlight from a window behind Oreki cast dispersed shadows across Irisu's exposed body. There was a single mole on her left hip but otherwise her skin was unblemished and stained honey gold by the light. Her pubic hair was immaculately trimmed and if he had expected to smell something pungent and earthy he would have been disappointed. Her scent was light and clean and there was a trace of verbena but it was hardly noticeable over the ambient odor of all the used equipment in the shed.

His mouth felt dry. He crawled forward and his hands held onto both of Irisu's legs. He stuck out his tongue and brushed it against the patch of black hair on her groin. Irisu sighed and gently nudged her crotch against Oreki's face.

Somewhere inside Oreki's mind he knew this was wrong. To let himself be used like this by a girl he loathed was mortifying. But the way her skin felt against his cheek, the scent of her pussy, and the noise of Irisu's flustered breathing made Oreki drunk with curious sensations.

He clutched her ass and buried his nose in her snatch and when the first orgasm crashed into Irisu her knees buckled and all the strength left her body. Head thrown back, back arched, fingers grasping Oreki's hair. Irisu screamed. As if by cue Oreki ejaculated and soiled himself.

Irisu staggered backwards. She nearly tripped but she steadied herself against a shelf and regained her balance. Oreki's mouth was wet and open and his hair was a disheveled mess. Irisu pulled her tights back up and composed herself. Her forehead sheened with sweat and her eyes were dilated.

By now the sun had completely set and it was dark. There was barely enough ambient light for Irisu to find the lock again and open the door. A cool breeze blew in and jostled Irisu's hair.

"Are you going to spend the night here or are you leaving?" Irisu asked.

Oreki stumbled out of the hot shed and into the cool air. Irisu closed the door and locked it and returned the spare key to its original hiding place.

"You're going to leave it alone?" Oreki asked.

"It's convenient. I may use it again."

* * *

All day Oreki dreamed of Irisu.

It was hard not to. All his formative experiences with sex centered around Irisu and her enigmatic allure. He dreamed of her eyes, her hair, her legs, her neck, her wrists, her ankles, her breasts, her ass...

"Oreki!"

Ibara's nagging broke his reverie. He was sitting in the club room with the others.

"What," Oreki angrily said. Stark images of Irisu's body faded from his memory.

"Are you paying attention?"

"Not really."

"It's getting popular," Fukube said as he leaned back in his chair. "The Mystery of the Equipment Shed."

"Oh. That."

"You've heard of it before?" Ibara asked.

"Irisu asked me to look into it."

Chitanda practically leaped out of her chair and grabbed Oreki's hand.

"Did you figure it out!? People keep saying the shed is haunted. Why just last night there was another report of a girl's scream-"

Oreki blushed.

"-and everyone is convinced it must be a ghost. What else could it be? I'm curious!"

Oreki gently pushed Chitanda away.

"It's sex."

Chitanda grew pale.

"S...sex?"

"Some students use the shed for trysts. They have sex. They have access to the key so they can lock it so no one interrupts them. And it's cheaper than going to a hotel. Irisu and I deduced all of this."

It was mostly true.

Chitanda sat back down and grew very quiet.

"I-I see."

"Well," Oreki said, "no one's getting hurt, so it's probably for the best that we just leave it alone."

"So you've been solving mysteries with Irisu," Ibara said, arms folded and her face showing smug indifference. "I guess you don't need us anymore."

"I never said that."

"You've been missing club meetings lately. What exactly is so important that you can't spend time with us?"

"Nothing."

"Hmpf."

Satoshi switched topics and Oreki silently thanked him for sparing him from any further scrutiny.


	3. Chapter 3

Formless grey clouds covered the sky. Oreki found the overcast weather soothing rather than ominous. He was walking back home from school and he was feeling jovial. He was thinking of how best to conserve his energy during the long weekend when a black car pulled up beside him. The window rolled down. Irisu was sitting in the passenger side. Oreki frowned.

"What do you want?"

"Come to school tomorrow. Seven o'clock sharp. I'll be waiting at the entrance."

Tomorrow was Sunday. It was his precious respite from an entire week of suffering. He had no desire to give it up for one of Irisu's whims.

"No," he said. "I'm not waking up that early for you."

"I'll be expecting you."

The window rolled up before Oreki could get a word in edgewise and the car drove off. He kicked the dirt. He had a hard-on. Just the sight of her face was enough to excite him.

He wondered how he could possibly wake up that early.

* * *

The next morning, the same black car was waiting for him at the school. Oreki glanced at his watch; it was five minutes to seven. He still wasn't quite sure how he managed to break routine and wake up that early. He had skipped breakfast and only now was starting to feel hungry but he felt alert.

Irisu stepped out of the car to greet Oreki. She was wearing a white dress and a wide brimmed straw hat.

"Is that all you're bringing?" she asked, noticing Oreki's bag.

"You told me to bring a change of clothes. Did I need to bring something else?"

Irisu had called him the night before detailing what he had to bring. She refused to give details but her requirements made him suspicious of what he was getting himself into.

"No," she said, turning back to the car again. "That will suffice. Get in."

* * *

It took Oreki half an hour before he realized they were leaving Kamiyama.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"My uncle owns a beach side resort. We will be spending the weekend there."

A month ago Oreki would have protested. But he was meek now. His desire to argue with Irisu was easily suppressed.

Still, the abruptness of the invitation confused Oreki.

"Can you at least tell me why I'm coming with you?"

"Under normal circumstances I would not have invited you. This was supposed to be a trip with my family and my fiancee. But my father had some last minute business to attend to, and my mother is staying behind. So it will be just the three of us."

"You have a fiancee?"

"His name is Morita Ryo. He is a lawyer who works for my father."

"Then he's older than you."

"He's twenty four."

Oreki slumped back in his seat. He looked outside at faraway trees passing by.

"And how exactly did he become your fiancee?" he asked.

"It was my father's decision."

Pause.

"It is not a situation I regret."

Oreki didn't believe her.

* * *

The resort sat on a private beach facing the Pacific. There was no trace of human activity on the shore. It was all virgin sand made sleek by the repeated ebb and flow of the ocean tide. A thick outcropping of rock partitioned the pristine beach from the surrounding foliage.

The parking lot was a bed of loose gravel behind the inn. Irisu's chauffeur, an elderly bespectacled man named Seto, dropped them off and started unpacking their luggage from the car trunk.

Morita was the first to greet them. He was wearing a pink polo shirt and white shorts. Standing in the gray gravel bed he stood out like holly fruit in snow. He kissed Irisu on the cheek and asked about her parents.

"Father is well," she answered. "He is still married to his profession. But I'm sure you know that."

"He's a doctor. It's understandable."

His attention focused on Oreki.

"And you are...?"

"A classmate," Irisu said. "He's been a great help to me at school. I wanted to reward him. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not."

Irisu's uncle, a jocund old man with a bald head and a granite colored beard, welcomed them with smiles and hugs. His de facto name was Oji-san and although Oreki normally hesitated being so familiar with strangers Oji-san had the kind of warm personality that made it hard not to be friendly.

He showed everyone to their room. They would be sharing a single large suite on the second floor with a wide balcony overlooking the beach below.

"The same room?" Oreki asked.

There was enough space for three futons but there was only one bathroom and there was no room for privacy. Oreki could already feel his skin crawling.

"There's no sense in coming to the beach if you're not going to swim," Morita said. "Fuyumi, why don't you change first."

He patted her on the bottom. She grabbed her bag and entered the bathroom.

Morita was young, broad-shouldered and clean shaved. Judging by physical appearances only, he was a good match for Irisu.

"What is Fuyumi like at school?" Morita asked.

"She's well respected. People fear her."

Morita laughed. "Fear? Why? She's harmless."

"How did you two meet?"

"I work for her father at his clinic. Fuyumi is a smart girl, but she's lived a sheltered life. She doesn't have much worldly experience. The doctor wanted to make sure her future was secure."

Irisu emerged from the bathroom. She was wearing a modest white one-piece swimsuit that flattered her lissome body. Morita looked disappointed.

"Where is the bikini I bought you?"

"I'm not wearing that thing."

"You'll wear it tomorrow," he said. He sounded sure of himself. He turned to Oreki and asked, "Did you bring your swimming suit?"

"No."

"I forgot to tell him," Irisu admitted.

Morita pulled out his wallet and handed Oreki a few crisp bills.

"There's a store on the boardwalk where you can buy one. Why don't we meet up in the lobby in an hour."

It was a naked attempt to send Oreki away. It didn't take an hour to buy a pair of swimming drunks and Morita had given him enough money to buy a dozen. Irisu looked as stone-faced as ever. Oreki pocketed the bills and, head turned down, left the room.

* * *

There was no boardwalk. The nearest one was five kilometers away and Oreki had no interest in walking that far. He bumped into Oji-san in the hallway and when he explained his predicament he was happy to let Oreki borrow a pair. It was a little loose in the waist but Oreki had no plans for arduous swimming and so they suited him perfectly fine.

He loitered in the lobby, reading magazines and conversing with Oji-san. Oji-san was in the depths of an extended soliloquy about squid when Irisu and Morita appeared.

"Glad you found something," Morita said. He had taken off his shirt and his muscular body was exposed. He did not possess the exaggerated physique of a bodybuilder but judging from his arms and his back and his flat waist he was the kind of man who paid attention to his figure. Irisu was standing beside him like a mute doll.

Morita and Oreki carried all the standard equipment necessary for a beach outing: towels, chairs, an inflatable ball and a large umbrella. They found a spot on the beach where the sand was cool and dry and they staked the umbrella into the ground and laid out the towels. Irisu sat down underneath the shade while Morita ran out into the water. Oreki couldn't decide whether to follow Morita or stay with Irisu and when faced with indecision he always chose the more effortless option and so he sat down next to Irisu.

"Are you enjoying yourself," she asked in a deadpan voice. Her eyes were hidden behind thick sunglasses.

"What about you? You're the one who brought me here. Why do you look so bored."

"I'm more content sitting in a quiet room reading and drinking tea. This sort of thing doesn't appeal to me."

It was a rare candid moment from Irisu.

Morita ran up to them. His body was wet with the ocean. His hair was slicked back. He was smiling. He reached over and grabbed Irisu by the wrist and pulled her up. She didn't resist or struggle but she didn't run along with him either. They waded into the water and Morita embraced Irisu and kissed her.

Oreki suddenly realized they were eight years apart in age. Morita looked older and acted older. For all her elegance Irisu was still a young girl, still inexperienced and still vulnerable. There was no romance in their kiss, only youthful awkwardness.

* * *

It was early afternoon when Oreki started feeling hungry again. He asked about lunch and the three of them agreed to break and head back to the inn. Oji-san had a light meal ready for them and they ate onigiri and makizushi and drank cold tea on a veranda facing the ocean.

Oreki started asking about the area and Oji-san was all too glad to point out the local history and the major sights. Among them was an abandoned shrine sitting atop a hill behind the inn.

"It's a bit of a hike but from the top of the hill you can see the entire coastline. There's also a legend that says if two lovers reach the shrine the gods will bless them with great fortune and happiness."

It was a modest, almost offhand remark and Oreki thought nothing of it at first. After lunch they sat around enjoying the sea breeze when Morita made a proposition.

"Let's climb the hill."

It was directed at Irisu and from the way he ignored Oreki's presence it could be surmised that Morita wanted to climb the hill alone with his fiancee. But Irisu wasn't interested. It wasn't until Morita half heartedly invited Oreki along that she changed her mind.

* * *

They all changed into clothes more appropriate for hiking. Oji-san had not been exaggerating. The trail was barely visible and there were no convenient markings to indicate which way they should be walking. The underbrush was thick and gnarled tree roots threatened to trip Oreki with every step.

A clap of thunder made Oreki stop in his tracks. He felt a drop of rain hit the back of his neck. He ignored it, but the intermittent drizzling soon transformed into a violent downpour and the trail grew muddy with warm rainwater.

The sensible thing to do was to stop and wait for the storm to pass but Morita's eyes burned with passion and he was determined to finish the climb.

"It'll be dark if we wait too long," he argued. It was true, and they had no lanterns or flashlights to light the way. But climbing such a steep hill with so much rain was suicidal.

Irisu was the first to trip. She stumbled over a tree root and hit her knee hard. She screamed in pain and Morita immediately ran back to check on her. She had sprained her ankle and her knee was bleeding from a shallow cut.

"We have to go back," Oreki said.

"It's not that bad," Morita argued. "We're almost at the top. I can carry you."

Morita was a strong man, but carrying Irisu on his back slowed him down. Every step was a struggle. With all the extra weight one misstep would throw off his balance and send him hurtling.

It was inevitable he would slip. Ten meters from the top of the hill he lost his footing and fell backwards. Irisu, who was already soaking wet from the rain, fell into the mud. She escaped serious harm but Morita hit his elbow on a rock and he screamed in pain.

Oreki, forced to climb on all fours, scrambled up to where Irisu was sitting and helped her up. With Oreki's support she hobbled on one foot and entered the abandoned shrine. Underneath the roar of the downpour Oreki could hear Morita following behind him.

* * *

The shrine was inside a dilapidated shack on top of the hill. They hid inside and waited for the storm to pass. Rain pelted the roof.

"This was a stupid idea," Irisu said.

"We made it, didn't we?" Morita said.

Irisu's body was covered in mud and grass. She likely had an untold number of scrapes and bruises.

Miraculously she had brought her cellphone and it still worked even in the storm. She called her uncle and told him they were safe. He told them that if they had found shelter then they should wait until the storm passed before trying to come back down.

And so they waited.

But the rain showed no sign of abating. Oreki, exhausted from all the climbing, lay on his back and fell asleep.

* * *

When he awoke it was pitch black. The sound of rain pitter-pattering on the rooftop was barely audible over Morita's snoring. He sounded like a dying walrus. Oreki crawled away. He bumped into something soft and warm.

"What do you think you're grabbing."

"I'm sorry..."

"I'm joking."

"I can't see you."

"Neither can I. Just stay put. If you got lost no one would ever find you."

"Did you know he snored this loud?"

"No. The acoustics of this room make it worse."

"I can't sleep now."

"So don't sleep."

"Are you okay? You took a bad fall earlier."

"You're awfully talkative. Usually you're so quiet I barely even recognize your presence."

Oreki exhaled. It was true. He was feeling talkative. He didn't stop himself.

"I've never been awake in total darkness like this. I can't see anything. I can't see you."

"There's no reason for you to be concerned. I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere."

"You're the one who turned me into what I am now. You have to take responsibility."

"What have you turned into?"

"A slave."

"You're being overly dramatic."

"You make me do things I have no interest in doing. Like coming here."

"I didn't force you to do anything. You came here of your own volition."

"My mind and heart say no. But my body doesn't listen. It moves on its own."

"You are your body. If you obey me it's because you want to obey me."

"That's..."

"Come closer."

Oreki didn't hesitate. He scooted closer to Irisu. He could see nothing but he could smell her. Gone was the floral perfume. In its place was something stark and earthy. Grass. Sweat. Wet wood. Oreki inhaled it all and he thought that she had never felt more real than she did at that moment.

Her hands explored his body. She found his cock and pulled it out.

"Shh," she whispered, and she wordlessly jacked him off in the dark. The sound of his ragged breathing was masked by Morita's snoring.

He let out a cry and suddenly his cock was enveloped in something wet and warm. He reached down with his hand and felt her matted hair. His palm touched her cheek. She was sucking him off.

She ran her tongue up and down the length of Oreki's cock. Her lips kissed the head and when he was about to cum she would withdraw and hold back his penis with a single finger and his cock strained against her.

It was a miracle he lasted as long as he did. Semen spurt from his penis and filled Irisu's mouth. And then it was over.

"Thanks for the meal," she said. He imagined her wiping the corners of her mouth with a cloth napkin.

"What about you?"

"I'm fine."

Oreki realized that Irisu was breathless. He still couldn't see anything but he thought he could smell something different, could feel the heat radiating from her body...

"You should be able to sleep now, right?" she said.

The snoring had stopped. At first Oreki feared that Morita had woken up, that he had witnessed everything. But if he did he said nothing.

"Is he still asleep?"

"His snoring comes and goes."

****Oreki laid down on his back. He closed his eyes. At least he thought he did. He couldn't tell the difference. He imagined Irisu sitting beside him, watching over him. He dreamt that they were lovers. There were no secrets spared between them. Her joy was his joy, her pain was his pain.


	4. Chapter 4

The following morning Irisu called her uncle and told him they were all safe and would come down shortly. But Morita wanted to offer a prayer before leaving.

"I almost forgot about it," he said. "That's why we came up here, after all."

Irisu and Morita prayed to the god of the shrine. Neither of them could recall the god's name or what sort of offering he preferred. Afterwards they shared a moment of silence.

"I know we still don't know each other very well," Morita began to say, "but I'm committed to being a good husband for you. I want to provide for you. So I'll do whatever it takes to make sure our marriage is successful."

It was a heartfelt confession and Oreki half-expected Irisu to drop her facade and reveal her true delicate self and tearfully embrace Morita.

But no such thing happened. There was no change in Irisu's demeanor. She barely acknowledged Morita's presence at all.

They descended the hill and returned to the inn. A hot shower was the first thing on Oreki's mind and he wasted no time in hitting the stall and scrubbing all the filth out of skin and his hair. Morita showered in the stall next to his.

"Sorry about all this," Morita said. "I know I've put you in an awkward situation."

"It's no problem at all," Oreki said.

"I don't get to see Fuyumi very often. I want to take her on a walk later this afternoon. Do you mind?"

"Be my guest."

* * *

They ate a light meal in their room. Irisu was methodically slicing small pieces out of her cold tofu with her chopsticks. She ate everything in measured bites.

"Let's go for a walk on the beach," Morita said. "The weather is perfect."

"I'm not in the mood for more walking," Irisu said. "I'd rather stay here in my room."

"Don't be like that," Morita said. "You can even wear that bikini I bought you."

"You should go," Oreki said. "It's our last day here. The two lovebirds deserve some time alone together."

"See?" Morita said. "Even Oreki agrees."

She placed her chopsticks on the table. Her brow was creased.

"If that's what everyone wants."

* * *

Oreki found a novel Irisu had been reading. It was the kind of literary work that his club ostensibly read and studied. The prose was dry, the words were archaic, and the plot was sterile. But boring suited Oreki just fine and he sat in a recliner in the balcony and turned to the first page and started reading.

At some point he fell asleep. When he woke up it was dusk. He yawned and stood up and stretched. Morita and Irisu were still gone. Oreki put on a jacket and wandered out onto the beach. It was chilly but tolerable and as he started walking he saw a trail of foot steps pressed into the wet sand heading towards the northern shore.

He followed their footsteps. It was a long walk, two kilometers or more. Towards the end the sand turned into grass and gravel. Oreki climbed a concrete flood bank and walked some distance along a dirt trail that ran parallel to the shore.

He found them below. Their bodies were pressed together. They were kissing.

Oreki ducked and hit behind a tree. He was close enough to see them and he did not want to be seen. He could hear them arguing.

"Stop it."

"Fuyumi, we're engaged. You're being a prude."

"We've hardly met each other and you're grabbing me like some lecher."

"You let me kiss you yet you won't let me touch your breast?"

"That's-"

Oreki heard a loud smack.

"I'm telling father what sort of man you are."

Morita chuckled.

"You would never challenge him. You're more afraid of him than I am."

Irisu had no response. All she could do was walk away.

* * *

Oreki was waiting in the lobby when Morita and Irisu returned. Irisu had a towel wrapped around her body. Her face was flushed red and her skin was damp with ocean water or sweat. Morita looked annoyed. His phone rang. When he saw who was calling he sighed.

"I have to answer this," he said to Irisu. "Wait for me upstairs."

He stepped outside.

While they were waiting Oreki remembered the money Morita had given him. He pulled out a bill and fed it to a vending machine. He picked out a drink for himself and one for Irisu.

Irisu frowned when he gave her the black coffee.

"I don't like bitter things."

Oreki opened his apple soda and took a sip. It was sweet and bubbly. He offered the can to Irisu.

Irisu drank the soda. It seemed to lighten her mood. She gave the coffee to Oreki and when he tried it he nearly spat it out. It was unreasonably bitter.

Irisu laughed.

She wearily stood up on her feet.

"Follow me."

They ascended a staircase, past their suite floor and into a cramped service corridor hidden between rooms. Irisu unlatched a small window at the end of the hallway and pushed it open. She climbed out and helped pull Oreki onto the roof of the inn and into the rest of the world.

The sky was an endless sea of black ink studded with diamond stars. The sound of waves washing the shore was omnipresent and the scent of the sea, of brine and mist, filled Oreki's head and made him feel dizzy.

The two of them stood on the rooftop. Irisu let the towel slip from her body and the waning moon, with all the strength of a dying candle, illuminated her. She was beautiful. The bikini Morita had bought was shameless. It was three pieces of string tied together. But Irisu's grace could make any garment regal. Her pride shone through like burnished bronze.

"I've always been impressed by your deductive skills," Irisu said. She stepped towards him, breasts trembling. "So I want you to answer one final mystery for me before I leave your life. Tell me. Why am I unhappy?"

Oreki held his breath. He could see the stars reflected in her eyes.

"You don't love Morita."

Irisu looked away.

"You don't want to marry him. You want someone to intervene and save you. You want a hero."

Irisu forced a smile. "Those things don't exist."

The words pained him. He knew he was no hero. He was not cut out for such antics. But still he pitied Irisu.

He reached out to touch the lock of hair that parted her face. She was standing right beside him but they were worlds apart. He feared that with one step she might disappear entirely from his sight.

"You don't have to rescue me. But stay by my side."

It was a command, and there was no power in heaven or on earth that could allow Oreki to resist her. He embraced her. Two figures standing with arms entwined, their indistinct silhouettes merging into one.

* * *

Morita had to leave abruptly, an emergency at the clinic.

They gathered outside the inn and Morita kissed Irisu on the forehead.

"I'm going to Paris next weekend for a conference. You should come with me."

"I'll be busy."

"With what?"

"Our school festival is coming up," Oreki interjected. "She's been given a great deal of responsibility. People are depending on her."

"I see."

Morita looked disappointed but he didn't protest.

He drove off in his fancy sports car, leaving the two high school students alone.

Oreki carried both their bags and they had to climb a steep hill to reach the bus stop. It was well past evening and moths danced around the single lantern illuminating the stop. Cicadas hiding in the bushes behind them chirped incessantly, drowning out their conversation.

"Thank you for coming with me," Irisu said. "I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. But you made things bearable for me."

Oreki wasn't sure how he felt. Was he closer to Irisu now? Was he an illicit lover?

****But one thing was clear. Any trace of doubt or hesitation about their relationship was gone now. Regardless of what she thought of him, he considered himself wholly subservient to Irisu. It felt strangely liberating, to be stripped of agency and free will. But to live for her sake seemed a far greater existence than whatever meager life he lead before.


	5. Chapter 5

"Ah, that."

Satoshi gave a pitiful forlorn expression when Oreki held up the book. Someone had left it on his desk: a paperback novel titled, "Fifty Shades of Rose." The cover was nondescript and gave no indication to its contents.

"It's really popular," Satoshi said. "Even adults read it. Probably every girl in this school has a copy."

"What's it about?"

"A girl who falls in love with a boy. The boy is really popular. He comes from a wealthy family, while the girl is a plain looking daughter of a tofu maker. But chance brings them together and she learns his dark secret."

"Dark secret? What do you mean?"

"Houtarou, it's the reason this book is banned in this school. If a teacher caught you with that copy you'd be in serious trouble."

"Just tell me."

"Well, to be brief, he's into domination. You know, bondage stuff. Melting candles and leather and spanking and stuff."

"What?"

Oreki had no idea such a world even existed.

"The novel is really erotic. A lot of sex scenes. The principal banned it from our school, saying it was corrupt. Well, I don't know about that."

Oreki shoved the book inside his desk when he saw the teacher walking their way. He wondered where it came from.

* * *

He attended a Classics Club meeting for once and if any of the members were surprised by his presence they hid it well. Mayaka and Chitanda were both raving about Fifty Shades.

"I think Ryousuke is very interesting!" Chitanda exclaimed. She held up her own copy and its title was reflected in her luminous eyes. "He's alienated from his friends, even his family, and then Kana appears and changes everything..."

"I know!" Mayaka chimed. "The author brings their relationship to life so well. It's almost like I'm Kana, falling in love with Ryousuke..."

"So you've been reading this novel Chitanda?" Oreki asked.

"Yes! It's an excellent book! You absolutely have to read it!"

"I've heard this novel is really erotic. Is that true?"

Chitanda blushed.

"Well, I guess some people could construe it that way but-"

"Doesn't it have a lot of sex scenes?"

"They're love scenes! It's not just sex! It's two lovers making love!"

Oreki smiled.

"So you're into that kind of thing."

"No...I mean..."

Mayaka smacked Oreki in the head.

"Stop teasing her," she admonished. "You have a copy too, don't you?"

She pointed at the novel peeking out of Oreki's bag. It was the copy he had found on his desk earlier that morning.

"Someone gave this to me."

"Sure," Mayaka said with a wry smile. "So, Oreki, who do you like more? Ryousuke? Or Kana?"

"I think Houtarou identifies with Kana more," Satoshi said, wrapping his arm around Oreki. "Aren't I right?"

Oreki frowned.

* * *

The following day Oreki went in search of Irisu. She was missing at her usual haunts: the cafeteria, the library, her classroom. He eventually found her sitting on a bench in the rear of the school. She was eating an apple and reading a familiar book.

"I didn't expect you to be reading something like that."

Irisu looked up and put the book down.

"I'm on the ethics committee. It's my responsibility to investigate things we ban."

"Is it really that dangerous?"

"If it weren't so popular it wouldn't be an issue. But parents are complaining, and the principal wanted to put on appearances that he was doing something. So it was banned."

"What do you think of it?"

"The prose is lurid. The scenario is implausible. And the characters are one-dimensional. There's nothing redeemable about it."

"You don't identify with Ryousuke?"

She frowned.

"Why would I?"

"The way he controls Kana, abuses her-"

She laughed.

"I wouldn't say he abuses her."

"You don't see yourself in his character?"

"I see where this is going. You want me to bind you up in rope."

She stood up and discarded her apple in a trash can. She stepped closed to Oreki and whispered in his ear.

"But I don't need such things to be control you."

Her hair brushed against his cheek and an electric charge went up his spine. She pulled back and half-smiled at him.

"I want you to come to my house this weekend. Mother and father will be visiting relatives so we'll be alone."

Oreki nodded.

* * *

"What is this, Fuyumi?"

"It's exactly as you see."

"Yes, but why is he tied up and naked?"

"So he wouldn't run away."

"You realize I already have a boyfriend."

"And? You're not cheating on him, are you? You're still his. I thought you might enjoy teasing a cute underclassman."

"..."

"Oreki, do you recognize who this is?"

Gagged, bound, and blindfolded, Oreki couldn't even fathom a guess who Irisu invited. It was a girl, her alto voice a note deeper than Irisu's but still carrying the refined enunciation and accent. There were a dozen girls like that at Kamiyama.

Despite Irisu's denial, it had turned out she was all too prepared for this type of scenario. She had no trouble tying the knots binding Oreki to his chair, and the ball gag ensured he couldn't communicate in any way other than indecipherable grunts.

"Would you like some tea?"

"Darjeeling, if you have it."

Oreki counted the seconds. The other girl was staring at him. He could feel it.

"I never would have expected to see you like this, Oreki. Fuyumi has gotten ahold of you pretty well, hasn't she."

The voice was familiar...

"Yours is the same size as Daisuke's. Although his is crooked."

She blew on his cock, a soft burst of breath that sent Oreki into a paroxysm. He struggled against his bindings and cried out. But no further stimulation came.

"How are things with Daisuke?"

Irisu had returned. Oreki could hear her setting the tray down on the table and serving tea.

"I wish I knew. I hardly ever see him. When I'm free he's busy with work. When he's free, I have shrine duties. I'm sad to say the few times we do meet it's just for sex."

"That isn't so bad. I've found that the more time you spend talking to a boy, the more you realize you dislike him."

"I would be lying if I said I enjoyed spending time with him. He asked me out. I accepted. And ever since our relationship has been going nowhere."

"I think a sexual relationship is perfectly fine. It's not as if we have any choice who we end up marrying. It makes sense to enjoy our youth while we still possess it."

"Is that how you ended up with Oreki?"

"Isn't something like this ideal? He can't even talk back to you. No commitment, no resentment, no-"

"No falling in love."

"No. Nothing like that."

"You've convinced me."

"Ah, not here. Let's go up to my bedroom."

Irisu untied the knots binding Orkei to the chair. He stood up. He could have removed his gag and his blindfold but instead he left them on, waiting for Irisu's instruction. She took his hand and guided him up the stairs to her room.

* * *

Oreki leaned down on a soft bed that smelled intensely of Irisu. Verbena and bergamot and freshly laundered linens. He could feel a pillow pressed against his back and sheets wrapped around his feet. A hand grazed his cheek and lightly caressed his neck.

Abruptly, relief. He felt a mouth taking in his cock. She sucked like an amateur: teeth touching skin, a tongue that got in the way. It wasn't Irisu. But it didn't matter. He ejaculated and pulse after pulse he filled her mouth with hot cum. She swallowed it all.

"Do you have a condom?"

"In the drawer."

She pulled the condom over Oreki's cock and, holding it with one hand, guided it to her pussy. Inch by inch, she let him penetrate her.

Irisu pulled back the blindfold and Oreki saw Juumonji Kaho sitting on top of him, his cock buried deep in her womb. The maiden of Arekusu Shrine had her eyes closed and she was rocking her body back and forth and she was panting. Her glasses were crooked and she was still wearing her sweater and skirt. Her breasts bounced with every stroke. She tilted her head back. Her mouth agape.

Oreki groaned and rammed his cock as far inside Juumonji as it could go. A searing white light filled Oreki's mind and blinded him. His eyes rolled back and he shoved his head against the bed.

Oreki felt spent. But Juumonji wasn't finished. She kept fucking him, grinding against him, and it was enough to maintain his erection as painful as it was getting.

She leaned over, her hands pressed against Oreki's chest and her braided hair brushing against his face.

"Ah...this isn't bad," she said in her breathy voice. "This isn't bad at all."

She went on for another five minutes before she came.

* * *

Irisu was satisfied with watching and asked no additional favors of Oreki. Juumonji wiped her legs and crotch dry with a tissue.

"I apologize if I left any stains," she said, looking back at the bed.

"No need to concern yourself. I'm the one who invited you."

"We should do this again. I'm usually free on Saturday afternoons. I might invite some friends next time."

Irisu walked Juumonji to the door and saw her out.

Oreki was still lying on Irisu's bed, naked, cock encased in a cum filled condom.

"Why did you do this," he asked.

She kneeled down beside Oreki. She pulled back a lock of hair and tucked it behind her ear.

"I wanted to remind you," she said, "that you're just a toy to me. And isn't sharing one's toys the civil thing to do?"

****The words wounded Oreki. But he was too tired, too submissive to argue. He closed his eyes and drifted asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

More out of boredom than curiosity Oreki began reading Fifty Shades of Rose. It was every bit as awful as Irisu had claimed it was. But he couldn't stop reading. It had the same kind of propulsive drive that gave pulp fiction its addictive quality.

When he was done reading he threw the book in the trash can. But the themes and the characters lingered in his memory.

Kana's life had been dreary before she met Ryousuke. She went through the motions but never stopped to think about what it was she was doing, about where she wanted to go. But her shared pain and suffering with Ryousuke changed all that. She started noticing flowers by the roadside and the sweetness of the fruit she ate for lunch.

Oreki wondered if Irisu had the same effect on him. From slate gray to carnation pink, his perception of the world had changed.

Irisu made herself scarce after the incident with Juumonji. Sometimes Oreki would catch sight of her, but she would disappear before he could reach her.

Oreki became a regular at the tea house where Irisu had first propositioned him. It was a little expensive but his sister was all too happy to give him an allowance, and he saw no value in saving it. It was on one of these after school visits that he bumped into Irisu. She was with Morita.

"Good to see you again," Morita said. He shook Oreki's hand and they exchanged pleasantries.

Morita invited Oreki to dine with them. He agreed.

They sat at a table in the corner of the restaurant. There was hardly anyone else there.

"That's right," Morita said, "you probably haven't heard the good news. We've set a date for the marriage."

"You have?" Oreki said.

"In August, after Fuyumi graduates."

"Congratulations."

Oreki beamed a smile at Irisu.

"We've decided to keep it a small ceremony. We're only inviting a few close family members and friends. Fuyumi here singled you out among her classmates. We'd be honored if you attended."

"I'd be happy to."

A waitress appeared and asked the group, "Did anyone park a red car outside the front entrance?"

"Yes," Morita said, "that's mine. What's wrong?"

"It's parked illegally. It'll get towed if you don't move it."

Morita sighed and shook his head.

"Excuse me."

"Is that why you've been avoiding me?" Oreki asked after Morita had left.

"I wasn't avoiding you. I just had no reason to see you."

"You're not going to marry him, are you?"

"He proposed to me and I accepted. It would be irresponsible for me to reject him now."

"This isn't about him. This is about you. What do you want?"

"I have obligations to my family."

"I'm asking about you, not your family."

"You're being irritating," she said with a scowl. "Two months ago you despised me. Now you're trying to dictate my life. What gives you the right?"

"I love you."

"You...what?"

She shook her head.

"Oreki, you seem to have made a grave misunderstanding. The time we spent together...it wasn't because I liked you. The expectations placed on me by my parents, by school, and by Ryo...I was put under tremendous stress. I sought out intimacy as a form of relief. Not as an act of love."

"I don't believe you. You don't love Ryo. You don't want to marry him. And the only reason you're not calling this wedding off is because you're afraid to confront your father."

"My father?" she scoffed. "What does he have to do with anything? You have no idea what you're talking about. You sound like an idiot. Ludicrous. I speak to my father every day. I am not afraid of him. I am not afraid."

"Am I interrupting something?"

Morita had returned.

"Nothing," Irisu said. Her face was flushed. "I've lost my appetite. I'm leaving."

She got up and walked past Morita.

"I can drive you."

"There's no need. I can walk home."

She left.

Morita pulled out a chair and sat opposite Oreki. Hands crossed, eyes locked on his.

"What's your deal, Houtarou."

"I love her."

"You're sixteen. What do you know about love?"

"I know just as much as you."

Morita shook his head.

"No. You're thinking with your dick. That isn't love. You're just a horny teenager."

He leaned closer towards Oreki.

"Look, I know what Fuyumi's been doing with you. I decided to overlook it because it's my fault that she's turned out this way. But things are going to change after we get married."

"What do you mean?"

"I've asked Doctor Irisu, Fuyumi's father, to search for a new doctor to hire. I'll be leaving the clinic after the marriage."

"Why?"

"I'm going to spend more time with her. I won't be able to afford vacations to Paris or Jamaica anymore, but we'll be together. I'll make her fall in love with me. And she'll forget about you."

Morita pulled a few bills out of his wallet and threw them on the table. He stood up to leave.

"I won't let that happen," Oreki called out, but by then Morita had already left.

Oreki wandered through the streets of Kamiyama lost in despondent thought. He ended up at Arekusu Shrine and, taking it is a sign, decided to make an offering.

Juumonji was sweeping the courtyard. She was dressed in traditional miko garb. She looked genuinely surprised to see Oreki.

"What brings you here?"

"I came to ask god for advice."

"I'm afraid our god isn't known for giving out advice. But go ahead."

Oreki walked up to the offering box with Juumonji a few steps behind him. He tossed a coin in and made his offering, praying silently to whatever deity inhabited the shrine.

After a minute passed Juumonji asked, "Well? What did she say?"

"It's a she?"

She smiled.

"Come inside. I may not be a god but I'm a bit more talkative."

Oreki explained his predicament with Irisu. Juumonji nodded and sipped her tea.

"Fuyumi has never been honest about her emotions."

"Do you think she really wants to go through with this wedding?"

"The Irisu family owes a great deal to the Morita. Two generations ago they were a family of landless farmers. They had no wealth, no prestige. But the Morita patriarch took a chance on Fuyumi's father, and helped fund his education. This is not to say that the Irisu family owes a debt to Morita. Morita's benevolence was an act of charity and no compensation was or is expected. But pairing Fuyumi with Ryo makes sense. They are of equal social standing, they are both young and they both have promising futures. If I were a matchmaker, then I would consider it a good match."

"But I love her."

"Do you truly? What makes you so sure?"

He buried his face in his hands.

"The thought of losing her fills me with despair," he said, his voice muffled. "Like I'm suffocating. I can't think about anything else."

He looked up at Juumonji.

"What should I do?"

Juumonji placed a deck of cards on the table.

"Do you believe in fate, Oreki?"

"What if I do?"

"Fate is a string that connects all things. Even these tarot cards. Are you willing to leave your future up to fate?"

He nodded.

She drew a card and revealed the face.

"Strength."

"Give me a break," Oreki said, leaning back. It was the same tarot Satoshi had used to describe him.

"This card typically means stability. Discipline. But it was inverted. You are on the verge of losing control of your emotions. You're not the tamer. You're the tamed."

She drew the next card.

"Empress. This card represents fertility. Creation. She will nourish you, let you grow and prosper."

"So I should stop this wedding?"

She drew the next card.

"The hanged man."

She glanced at Oreki.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"Self sacrifice. Rebirth. Renewal."

"What does that mean?" he repeated.

"You have to let her go."

"What? Why?"

"If you want to be reborn, if you want to save Fuyumi, you have to destroy your ego. Your desires must be forfeited. Only then can you progress."

Oreki shook his head and stood up.

"This was stupid."

"Tarot cards do not portend the future," Juumonji said. "They serve as a mirror, revealing your inner thoughts and emotions. These cards show that you have already decided these things. Your suffering comes from a denial of reality."

Oreki stared at Juumonji, unsure of what to say or do next.

"Come to my room," she said. "I want to show you something."

Juumonji's room was unexpectedly girlish. Posters of SMAP and other boybands covered the walls, and shelves were lined with stuffed animals and volumes of shoujo manga. The walls were colored in pale pastels, and even the smell - watermelon and peaches - brought to mind something immature. It was a far cry from the spartan design of Irisu's room.

Juumonji rummaged around underneath her bed. She pulled out a small metal lock box.

"Fuyumi and I were close friends as young children," she explained. "Even then Fuyumi's father was grooming Ryo to become his son-in-law."

"Did they know each other?"

Juumonji nodded.

She opened the lock box and pulled out an assortment of trinkets. Sea shells, crystals, pendants, rings. Inside was a letter written on pink stationary with floral print.

"She wrote this for him in sixth grade. I think you should read it."

It was a love letter addressed to Morita. Its earnestness made Oreki's stomach churn.

"They were inseparable," Juumonji said, "even though he was eight years older. She was infatuated with him. They went everywhere together. She even promised to marry him."

"What happened?" he asked.

"I don't understand it well myself. We drifted apart during high school. I had to take on shrine duties, and Fuyumi absorbed herself with school work. Maybe she grew out of it. But I think there's still a part of her that loves Ryo. It's a love that goes back ten years. That's not something you can trivially replace."

The thought of Irisu being passionate about anything seemed alien to Oreki. Even in their darkest moments together, she had remained cool and calm. To witness this side of her, even in her youth, made Oreki feel like a voyeur.

He handed the letter back to Juumonji. She placed it in the lock box, closed it, and returned it to the hiding spot underneath her bed.

"That's where she is coming from. She may act like she doesn't like Morita, but that's all it is. An act."

Oreki shook his head.

"I don't believe you. The things she said to me...the things we did..."

"You mean like this?"

Juumonji kissed Oreki on the lips. He drew back, startled.

"Sex and love are two different things. Especially for girls like us. She may be willing to take you on as a paramour, but her heart belongs to Ryo."

She leaned in to kiss him again but Oreki pushed her away.

"What are you doing! Didn't I just tell you I loved Irisu?"

"That doesn't matter to me. Your love for her is unrequited. She'll never acknowledge you, especially after how you confessed to her."

She grabbed Oreki by the shirt collar and pulled him towards her, and they both toppled onto her bed. Oreki's face hovered over Juumonji's.

"If you kiss me," she said, "you can take me as a consolation prize."

Oreki thought of what Morita had told him. He was a teenager. He didn't understand love. It was just hormones floating in his brain. He thought with his dick, not with his heart.

"You're gonna wear that?" someone said.

"You don't like costume play?"

"I don't mind but-"

"Consider yourself fortunate. Even Daisuke hasn't fucked me wearing this yet."

"Leave the glasses on."

"You're full of weird fetishes, aren't you?"

Oreki wondered who the stranger's voice was. He wondered who was kissing Juumonji, who was undressing her, who was sucking her breast and who fingering her.

To his horror he realized it was himself. There was no one else in the room. He couldn't control his own body through the feverish haze.

They made love, or by Juumonji's logic they made sex. It was wet and messy and no matter how many times Oreki battered Juumonji's frail-looking body she came back for more. Missionary, ass in the air, legs spread apart, every position imaginable by two naive teenagers who had lost all sense of time and place.

After the third condom Oreki fell to the floor, exhausted. He had fucked Juumonji's pussy red and raw, but his own cock was in a similar state.

Juumonji stood up. Her haori was untied and revealed a long line of white skin leading up to her belly. His eyes followed the path to her mound, a thick bush of wiry black hair. Her hips were wide but her thighs were thin, creating a gap between her legs. He stared at this gap as she walked towards him and ran her fingers through his drenched hair.

"Forget her," she said, looking down at Oreki. "Become mine."


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note_

_I had to go back and retcon some things in previous parts, mostly changing Ryo's job to make the plot developments in these chapters a bit more intelligible. I've also gone back and added section breaks so that the different scenes don't run into each other._

_I apologize for the short length of these updates but to be honest I'm running out of ideas on Oreki x Irisu. Hopefully switching things up will renew my interest._

* * *

The school year went on, with or without Oreki's cooperation. He found  
solace in the room where the Classics Club congregated every  
afternoon.

This time it was just Ibara and himself. She was reading shoujo manga  
and when he entered she didn't even bother to look up or otherwise  
acknowledge his presence. Oreki was just fine with that. He sat down  
at the table and opened a book he had been reading.

Some time passed before Oreki realized Ibara was staring at him.

"What is it?" he said.

"What's Satoshi like?"

"Are you stupid?"

"Oreki!"

She leaned over the table with a desperate look on her face.

"Why won't he accept me?" she asked.

He looked away.

"It's...it's complicated."

"So you know something."

"Look, I don't really understand him myself."

"But you've been friends since middle school! You've known him longer  
than anyone else."

"It's not a question of how long I've known him."

"Oreki."

For a moment her face lost all her childishness. She looked beaten,  
defeated. She asked in despair, "What am I doing wrong?"

Oreki put his book down.

"He's just confused, that's all. Give him some space. He needs to  
sort out his feelings."

It was a true, honest answer, but not one that satisfied Ibara.

* * *

On her way home from school Ibara remembered that her mother would be

coming home late. She worked as a secretary at a law office and it  
wasn't at all strange for her to come home at eight or nine when there  
was a big case going on.

Ibara pulled out her wallet. Stuffed inside was a crisp five thousand  
yen bill her mother had given her.

"I'll treat myself today," Ibara told herself with a forced smile.

She went to the only fancy restaurant she knew of, an Italian place  
near her house. On a weeknight it was practically empty. The dark  
lighting, the leather seats, and the cherry wood finishing gave the  
restaurant an old world feel. Ibara saw a girl sitting alone at the  
bar, nursing a glass of cola. She had short brown hair and was wearing  
the Kamiyama school uniform.

It was Koichi.

Ibara sat down next to her. Koichi looked surprised to see her.

"It's strange seeing you here," she said.

After the cultural festival Koichi had grown aloof. No longer did she  
provoke Ibara into arguments. Instead she sat quietly in the corner,  
reading manga and letting the others run the club. She looked forlorn  
now and lost in thought.

"Sempai," Ibara said, "have you ever been in love?"

"Once or twice," she said, smiling.

Ibara realized she didn't know much about Koichi. She wasn't the type  
to talk about her personal life. Yet there was something about her  
that made her seem world-weary and wiser than anyone else Ibara knew.

"Are you in love with someone?" Koichi asked.

Ibara blushed. She told Koichi about Fukube and his indecisiveness.

"Boys are like that," Koichi said dismissively. "Always confused about  
what they're doing or what they want to do. But it's easy to take  
control. You just have to be a little more aggressive."

Ibara shook her head.

"I can't do that! I'm a coward."

Koichi smiled mischeviously and grabbed Ibara's hand.

"I can teach you."

* * *

They met that evening at Koichi's house. Her room was immaculately

clean. Tall bookshelves lined the walls and every shelf was crammed  
with manga. Just from scanning the spines Ibara recognized obscure  
out-of-print titles, limited edition works that were sold only at  
remote conventions, and plenty of things she didn't even recognize.

There was a drafting table topped with stacks of paper and cups jammed  
with pens and pencils and markers. Ibara imagined that this is what a  
pro's room might look like, someone who lived and breathed manga.

But Koichi seemed nonchalant.

"I wanted to teach you something," she said. "Think of it as a  
training exercise."

"What do you mean?"

"Sit on the bed."

Ibara obeyed. Koichi rummaged around her desk drawer and pulled out a  
blindfold. She gave it to Ibara and instructed her to put it on. With  
her vision blacked out, Ibara sat and waited.

"I want you to imagine," Koichi said, "that Satoshi is sitting here  
right in front of you. You're alone with him. What do you want to  
tell him?"

"I don't know..."

"Then repeat after me. 'Satoshi, I love you...'"

"I can't say that!" Ibara stammered.

"Just do it. This is just roleplaying. It's not for real. The real  
Satoshi is not going to hear you."

"I...guess it's alright then. Well, here goes. Satoshi..."

"What is it, Mayaka?"

Koichi used a slightly deeper voice. She sat down next to the  
blindfolded Ibara and placed her hand on Ibara's lap.

"Satoshi, I..."

Koichi weaved her fingers with Ibara's.

"I lo..."

"What is it, Mayaka?"

"I love you. I know you don't love me back but I can't help it. I  
can't help feeling this way about you. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.  
But this who I am. I love you."

Koichi stepped behind Ibara and wrapped her arms around Ibara's waist.  
She whispered in her ear, "I love you too."

"No," Ibara said, shaking her head with her eyes still closed.  
"You're just lying to make me feel good. If you really loved me you  
wouldn't have been pushed me away all these years."

"I acted that way because I didn't want to hurt you, Mayaka. I know,  
I was an idiot. But things can be different from now on. Right?"

"Fuku-chan..."

Koichi kissed Ibara's neck, and her ear, and her hair. By then all  
the strength had left Ibara's body.

It was a fantasy. She knew that in her head. But Koichi's voice  
sounded so close to Fukube's. And she knew exactly what to say. It  
was such a nice fantasy. Ibara didn't want it to end.

"I love you, Mayaka."

Ibara didn't resist.

She felt a hand pressed against her belly and another hand groping her  
breast. She felt additional kisses on her neck, working their way up  
to her cheek, and finally her lips. Fukube's lips felt soft and warm  
and tasted salty, just as she had always imagined them.

Fukube gently laid her down on the bed and started undressing her.

"You look beautiful," he said, his voice low and husky.

Ibara felt a hand slip down her panties and she gasped when a finger  
penetrated her.

"Fuku-chan," she said breathlessly, "I'm still a virgin."

"Don't worry," he said, "I'll be gentle."

And he was gentle. He was the most thoughtful lover in the world. He  
was perfectly conscious of Ibara's body. He knew where she was  
sensitive and he always brought her to the brink only to guide her  
back.

Ibara opened her eyes and looked down and she saw Koichi's head buried  
between her legs licking her most sensitive part.

But by then Ibara didn't care anymore. For once that veil of dread  
had been lifted from her mind and its place was bliss. Fukube loved  
her, and she loved him, and their act of love was a validation of her  
happiness.


	8. Chapter 8

Every Saturday behind the Arekusu shrine Oreki would fill Juumonji's  
pussy with his cock. She was insatiable. Even after two or more  
orgasms she would try to coax another rise out of Oreki, usually to no  
avail. He was at or near the prime of his sexual life but there were  
physiological limits to these things.

She had broken up with Daisuke, telling him that she wouldn't have any  
free time over the next few years as her father began grooming her to  
inherit the shrine. Which was a bald-faced lie, but thankfully the  
Arekusu god was not a stickler on honesty or chastity.

Oreki himself wasn't sure why he kept meeting with Juumonji. Irisu  
had been avoiding him at school. He thought of the tarot card  
reading, and what it all meant. Not that he took it seriously, but as  
Juumonji had said, it gave him an opportunity to introspect.

"The hanged man."

"Are you still thinking about that?"

Juumonji was wiping her thighs clean with a tissue. She had gotten  
good at fucking with her miko garments on and not soiling them.

"I love her," Oreki said.

"And yet here you are, fucking another girl."

"This is different."

"You're right. This is different."

Juumonji adjusted her hakama, tightening the belt and making sure it  
felt snug against her body.

"But good luck convincing Fuyumi of that."

* * *

Irisu was civil with him in public but their infrequent trysts had

come to an end. The situation frustrated Oreki. He didn't know if it  
was the denial of sex or the denial of emotion that angered him the  
most.

He hatched a plan to follow her and confront her when she was alone,  
but that moment never came. She surrounded herself with classmates and  
when school ended Morita would show up in his red convertible and  
whisk Irisu away.

Out of desperation he biked all the way to Irisu's home one afternoon  
and rang the doorbell, asking to be let in. To his surprise the door  
opened.

"Yes?"

A woman had answered the door. Oreki didn't recognize her.

"I was looking for Fuyumi..."

"Oh she isn't here right now. Ryousuke took her on a dinner date. You  
are?"

"A classmate."

"I see. I'm Sakuya, Fuyumi's mother. She should be back any minute  
now. Would you like to wait inside?"

* * *

"Can I ask what your opinion of your daughter's marriage is?"

Sakuya paused.

"We feel it's best for her."

"Have you asked her what she thinks of it?"

"I have. She's very fond of Ryousuke."

"Do you truly believe that?"

"What exactly is your relation to Fuyumi? I find it hard to believe  
that a classmate would be so interested in her personal life."

"I'm a friend who doesn't want to see her get hurt."

"And neither do I. But I assure you this is what Fuyumi wants."

"How would you react if your daughter called off the wedding?"

"That would never happen, so discussing any hypotheticals about a  
cancelation are a waste of time. I think I deserve some sort of  
explanation as to why you're asking these sorts of questions. You're  
not just a friend of hers, are you?"

"No, you are right. I've fallen in love with your daughter and I don't  
want her to marry Morita."

"I see. Unfortunately, I believe the situation is hopeless for you."

"What do you mean?"

"Ryousuke's family has a long tradition of serving the government. And  
for as long as Fuyumi has been alive she has dreamed of joining the  
Diet. Marrying Ryousuke would give her the political connections that  
our family lacks to make that dream a reality."

Oreki stared at Sakuya, mouth agape.

"In other words," Sakuya said, "Fuyumi is marrying Ryousuke for  
personal gain."

* * *

Irisu didn't return home that night. Sakuya didn't look surprised or

all that concerned about the welfare of her daughter. After nine Oreki  
excused himself and left.

He returned home where his sister was waiting for him.

"You look like a beaten dog," she remarked. She was sitting on the  
couch reading a magazine.

"Shut up."

"Something you want to talk to your big sis about?"

"No."

He walked to the refridgerator and drank an entire half carton of  
milk.

"This came in the mail for you."

She held up a plain white envelope. Oreki walked over and grabbed it.  
It was unmarked.

"What is this?"

"Found it in our mailbox. You might want to read it."

Oreki went up to his room and opened the envelope. It contained a  
letter. He recognized the handwriting.

* * *

I want to apologize for the way I've treated you. I was impressed by

your intelligence, and in a moment of weakness I sought you out as an  
ailment to my loneliness. But I understand now that was a mistake. I  
gave you the wrong impression about my motives. I love Ryousuke and I  
never had any intention of leaving him. Although I enjoyed the time I  
spent with you, I fear those days have come to an end. Out of respect  
for Ryousuke and for me, please remain distant. This is my last  
request to you as a friend.

* * *

Oreki crumpled up the letter into a ball and threw it at the wall.

She was lying to herself. She didn't love Ryousuke. The fact that she  
forced herself to write such a conciliatory letter was proof. The  
letter only hardened his resolve. Damn the hanged man or whatever  
fortunes Juumonji had drawn for him. He would do whatever it took to  
spoil their wedding.


End file.
